Govt mulls Åland as clean energy testing site

Environment, Energy and Housing Minister Kimmo Tiilikainenon on Thursday invited companies and research institutes to develop the Åland Islands into a testing site for renewable energy sources with strong reliance on public-private partnerships.

“Energy technology and innovation can serve as significant drivers of economic growth. Finland continues to invest in new technologies that accelerate the clean energy transition and the introduction of associated resource-efficient products and services,” Tiilikainen said during the Clean Energy Ministerial in Copenhagen, according to an official press release.

Finland and China presented their projects in a side event to the Clean Energy Ministerial to focus on their projects to build open international testing sites for new clean energy solutions.

The Åland Islands would be a demonstration platform for a flexible energy system, which is based on smart grids and 100% renewable energy production and use.

Key elements of the system are the ability to integrate distributed renewable energy production into the overall system and respond to concurrent fluctuations in demand and supply.

The demonstration platform offers companies a unique opportunity to test new energy solutions. It is important that consumers are active operators in the system.

“Several Finnish companies and research institutes and some international operators are already planning this excellent project, which represents a real energy transition to smart and clean energy. In the project, energy users and ordinary consumers play a key role as equal participants in the electricity market,” Tiilikainen said.

“Smart metering systems and dynamic electricity pricing allow us to create an electricity system with inbuilt flexibility highlighting end-users’ choices and behaviour,” the minister added.

“The site serves as a reference for the Finnish export industry and as a unique testing ground attracting international investment and operators. In this respect, Finnish companies have expertise in energy storage minerals and chemicals, battery application services, and expertise in digitalisation and 5G networks,” Tiilikainen added.